The Red Cedar River received a great deal of attention from the Health Department in 1988.  The City of Williamston received State funding to create a white water park that was opened for public use.  River water samples are collected from the Putnam Street bridge just upstream from the white water rapids every week and tested for E. coli bacteria, an indicator organism used to measure surface water quality.  Surface water is considered to be safe for swimming if the E. coli levels are less than 130 per 100 milliliters of water.  In 1998, the water quality consistently did not meet this level of quality.

To help determine what could be done to improve the Red Cedar water quality, a Red Cedar River Coordinating Committee was formed.  Both Ingham and Livingston County Health Departments and the Drain Commissioners together with Michigan State University Department of Resource Development adopted a "shared vision" for the purpose of studying the watershed and to work with others in efforts to improve the water quality.

Red Cedar River sampling locations      

1999 Sampling Results from 2 sampling sites 

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Updated September 21, 2005